How to Pack a Kitchen for Moving
Packing your kitchen for moving can feel slightly overwhelming. After all, there are food items, kitchen appliances, and lots of silverware and dishware – many of which is fragile and requires thoughtful quality dish packing materials.
Packing these items requires some time and patience. However, by implementing these packing tips and using the right packing supplies, packing your kitchen can be a piece of cake. Here is how to pack kitchen items in five easy steps.
Before You Begin – Get Some Boxes and Other Kitchen Packing Supplies
Your kitchen packing journey will likely start with getting the right supplies. In addition to your typical moving boxes, tape, and packing materials, you should consider getting some kitchen-specific packing kits. U-Haul has everything you need to successfully pack a kitchen for a move! Here’s what we recommend:
- Dish Pack Kit for ceramic dinner plates, bowls, and other fragile glassware. This kit comes with a double-walled box, slotted insert, and foam pouches for easy packing and factory-quality protection.
- Glass Pack Kit for drinking glasses, stemware, wine glasses, and other tall, fragile dishware. The kit also includes a double-walled box, slotted insert, and foam pouches for easy packing and high-level protection.
- Cell Kit & Dish Barrel Boxes are another option for packing drinking glasses, stemware, and other fragile glassware. The included partitions can be customized to fit plates, bowls, pots and pans, and more.
- Enviro-Bubble® cushion wrap for fragile dishware and glassware. We recommend small bubbles for abrasion protection and large bubbles for impact protection.
- Ink-free, acid-free Packing Paper for placing in between pots and pans, filling void space in boxes, and wrapping plates and glasses.
- Paper Box Tape makes packing a kitchen for moving easier, as it doesn’t require scissors and has a strong hold on moving boxes.
- Small & Medium Moving Boxes for pots and pans, small kitchen appliances, serving dishes, kitchen utensils, food storage container, and more.
- Biodegradable Packing Peanuts for filling void space in your small and medium boxes, particularly when packing fragile items and kitchen appliances.
Our Moving Supplies Calculator will help you figure out the supplies you need and how many!
How to Pack a Kitchen for Moving in 5 Easy Steps
1. Organize Your Fridge and Pantry Items
To start, avoid buying perishable foods about a week or two prior to moving day while simultaneously using up those that you already have. Then, clean out your fridge and pantry. Find things to donate (sealed, non-perishables like canned goods), discard (expired goods), and keep (food that will keep well during the move). If you’re moving locally, you can pack refrigerated goods in a cooler with ice (do this last or close to last).
2. Declutter
Before you begin packing, go through all the items you have in the kitchen and determine if there is anything you might not need to take, like rarely-used appliances or dishes for example. This is an easy way to create less work for yourself when it’s time to pack. These items can be donated or sold.
3. Set Aside Some Essentials
Don’t make the mistake of packing everything in your kitchen before you actually move! Each member of the family will need at least a cup, flatware set, and plate. Don’t forget to include at least one pan, a few dish towels, dish soap, and a sponge. Pack all these items in a single moving box, labeled “kitchen essentials,” and unpack that box early in your new home so you’re not scrambling.
4. Pack Your Kitchen for Moving
With your kitchen organized, you can begin packing. Keep these kitchen packing tips in mind so everything is secure and organized in transit.
How to Pack Stemware, Glasses and Crystal
Using the Glass Pack Kit, place each item in a foam pouch, then place each wrapped item in its own cell. For added protection, wrap each item in packing paper or Enviro-Bubble Cushion Wrap.
The Cell Kit is another helpful tool for packing stemware and glasses. Wrap each item it packing paper or Enviro-Bubble and place each item in its own cardboard partition. Avoid stacking items on top of each other.
How to Pack Plates, Bowls, and Other Dishes
Using the Dish Pack Kit, place each item in a foam pouch, then store each time in its own cell. For added protection wrap each item in Packing Paper or Enviro-Bubble Cushion Wrap.
For items that don’t fit in the Dish Pack Kit, wrap them in packing paper or Enviro-Bubble cushion wrap, then secure with packing tape. When placing these in boxes, stack them in rows, not columns, to avoid damage. For non-fragile kitchenware, stack with a sheet of packing paper in between each to avoid scratching.
For More Information on Glass & Dish Packing Kits
Glass & Dish Pack Kits: The Best Way to Pack Dishes for Moving
Wondering how to pack kitchen items for moving? Packing a kitchen and its contents is simple when you use these recommended packing supplies and expert tips.
How to Pack Kitchen Appliances
Small kitchen appliances like microwaves, coffee makers, toasters and bread makers should be packed in the manufacturer’s box if you still have it. If you don’t, wrap each appliance in Enviro-Bubble and secure with packing tape. Place each appliance in a small or medium box and use crumbled packing paper or packing peanuts to fill the empty space.
How to Pack Pots and Pans
Stack pots and pans in small- and medium-sized boxes with a single sheet of packing paper in between each. You can nest smaller pans in larger ones to maximize your space. If you have glass lids, wrap them in packing paper and secure the edges with packing tape. Again, use packing paper or packing peanuts to fill the empty space.
How to Pack Kitchen Utensils and Flatware
If your flatware is stored in an organizing tray, leave it there. Wrap the tray in packing paper or bubble wrap and place the entire tray in a small or medium box. You may want to remove knives and individually wrap them in Enviro-Bubble, then place them in a bundle inside the box. When packing kitchen utensils and gadgets, bundle them using sheets of packing paper or Enviro-Bubble, then secure using tape.
How to Pack Pantry Items
All pantries are different, so you may have some things that aren’t accounted for here. But in general, your boxed, bagged, and canned food should be packed in a way that prevents spills. For instance, seal previously opened containers with tape or place them in a sealed bag. When packing canned goods, pack them in a single layer at the bottom of a small box and place lighter food items on top.
5. Secure and Label Your Boxes
When packing your kitchen boxes, keep these tips in mind:
- Don’t over-stuff boxes: Keep your loads light by leaving extra space and filling that space with crumbled packing paper, Enviro-Bubble, or packing peanuts.
- Secure openings: Place several layers of box tape across the bottom and top of the box to prevent items from dropping out. For extra security, use the ‘H’ tape method.
- Label things clearly: Use a marker to label your boxes with their contents; ‘fragile,’ ‘pots and pans,’ ‘panty,’ etc. This should help avoid damage to fragile items.
- Pad the bottom of fragile boxes: Any box that has fragile items should have a layer of Enviro-Bubble on the bottom for shock absorption.
Whatever packing supplies or resources you need to move successfully, U-Haul has a solution for you. Check out some other packing tips and shop for moving and packing supplies today.
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